New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested over 100 cadres of the Popular Front of India (PFI) on Thursday morning.
According to sources, the arrests came following a massive nationwide search operation against groups, including the PFI, and individuals suspected of supporting terrorists.
The agencies conducted raids at the house of PFI chairman O M A Salam in Malappuram’s Manjeri in Kerala and PFI offices across 10 states including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka.
Sources said the Union Home ministry was monitoring the entire crackdown.
It is pertinent to mention here that as per the chargesheet filed by the ED, the PFI has formed District Executive Committee in UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and other places to raise funds.
Targets are given to individuals to collect cash and transfer it through hawala or camouflage as “genuine business transactions”.
During its investigation, the ED analysed more than 600 domestic contributors and their bank accounts and also looked at accounts of more than 2,600 beneficiaries. The agency found many of these accounts were bogus and the account-holders were not found on the ground during physical verification.
